ERIC Number: EJ1475106
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1357-3322
EISSN: EISSN-1470-1243
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Examining the Promotion of Mental Health and Wellbeing in Australian Sports Clubs
Jasmine M. Petersen1,2; Murray Drummond1,3; Sam Elliott3; Claire Drummond4; James A. Smith5; Ben Wadham1,3; Ivanka Prichard2
Sport, Education and Society, v30 n6 p742-753 2025
Organised sport is increasingly recognised as a culturally acceptable site for mental health and wellbeing promotion. To date, however, there is limited knowledge pertaining to how exactly mental health and wellbeing is supported in such contexts. The present study aimed to provide insight into mental health and wellbeing promotion practices in Australian sports clubs. An online cross-sectional survey examined the current provision of mental health and wellbeing initiatives in sports clubs, barriers and motives to such promotional efforts, and perceptions of psychological safety within club environments. The survey was completed by 302 stakeholders of Australian sports clubs (M[subscript age] = 41.3 ± 15.7 years, 46.7% male). Fewer than half of stakeholders (47.7%) reported that their sports club had implemented initiatives to support mental health and wellbeing. Insufficient resources (e.g. knowledge, finances) were identified as the most prominent barrier to such promotional efforts. Sports clubs reported using various initiatives to promote mental health and wellbeing, although evidence-based resources (e.g. Ahead of the Game) were rarely implemented. Stakeholders in sports clubs that had implemented initiatives to support mental health and wellbeing perceived their club as a more mentally healthy environment and attained higher mental health literacy scores. Ongoing efforts to increase the utilisation of sports settings to support mental health and wellbeing are necessary.
Descriptors: Mental Health, Well Being, Athletics, Clubs, Health Promotion, Adults, Barriers, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; 2College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Caring Futures Institute, Adelaide, Australia; 3College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; 4College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; 5Rural and Remote Health, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia